Second-hand tuning heaven @ Up Garage, Japan
Imagine for one second that eBay had a real-life shop you could walk into, full to the rafters with high-performance tuning parts all available at a fraction of the cost from new. But also imagine you don’t have to deal with time wasters… bartering over the cost or whether it’s ‘as described’.
This all sounds too good to be true, but such a wonderful world does actually exist. And it’s called Up Garage.
Up Garage is kind of like a second-hand version of Halfords, with a massive range of outlets dotted all across Japan. But unlike Halfords, you won’t find any new parts here: It’s all high-quality second hand parts, from aftermarket wheels through to replacement body panels and headlights.
Best of all, prices of second-hand parts are ridiculously cheap… despite the parts available all being in exceptional condition.
The downstairs of Up Garage is dedicated almost entirely to wheels and tyres. From sporty OE options including Civic Type-R and Nissan GT-R wheels through to lightweight upgrades including Volk Racing and BBS, the sheer variety of wheels available is beyond awesome. All come with good tyres, feature minimal marks and can even be fitted by Up Garage on one of the ramps located at the back of the store. How cool is that?
Upstairs gets even better, with entire racks dedicated to individual components. BILSTEIN suspension? Got that. HKS exhaust systems? Got those too. We even clocked a shelf full of second-hand race clutches!
It’s not hard to see why the Japanese adore the tuning culture with the likes of Up Garage providing discounted parts without the hassle associated with the likes of eBay or automotive forums. In many cases, the prices work out far cheaper to upgrade to aftermarket parts rather than fit OE replacements.
If only the checked baggage allowance catered for impromptu wheel purchases…